WEDNESDAY MOVIE

Six Feet Under (1st season)

I kid you not, one of my favorite things I’ve discovered to keep my cinema jones at bay is getting those sets of whole seasons of a series. I cut my teeth on the first season of the Sopranos from the library for free, then insatiably tore through the next three years of it as soon as humanly possible. That was awhile ago. Recently, I decided to dabble again – this time choosing another highly rated HBO series – Six Feet Under. You can’t get me to watch a series the regular way – once a week, usually late at night on some channel I can’t afford. But this is different. This is totally under my power to turn it off and on at will, savoring the best parts, once in awhile rewinding just to see if I actually heard what I thought I heard. So anyway, diving in this time I discovered the most fabulously wiggy family, totally smart plot/dialogue/characters, and subject matter unexpected and arresting. What an idea – a Pasadena family just as weird as the east coast Sopranos ever were (well maybe less violent) who live (and work) in a funeral home and are all in stages of shock and grief as the series begins at the accidental death of the patriarch of the family. There’s Mom whose been not that happy for some time and is just waiting to bust out into really expressing herself in the world; there’s Nate the prodigal older son who returns to begin to find himself a role in the business and the family and an intense relationship with mysterious and elusive Brenda whom he meets and makes out with on the plane flying in; there’s David, the younger brother who’s the Felix Unger of the group stumblingly coming out as gay; there’s daughter Claire, a loner in high school with a dangerous boyfriend; and oh yes, there’s the ghost of Dad who drops in from time to time to comment on all the zany goings on. Each episode starts with a death of someone which brings the funeral home into contact with that person’s story and adds some outside actors to the mix for that week. By the end of the first year’s fun I was hooked and am now awaiting Season 2 from Netflix. Don’t expect a frothy comedy. Six Feet Under has its hilarious moments, but it’s late night HBO and you know what that means. So be a grown-up and enjoy.

Deep Thought: “I think the best Thanksgiving I ever had was the one where we didn’t even have a turkey. Mom and Dad sat us kids down and explained that business hadn’t been good at Dad’s store, so we couldn’t afford a turkey. We had vegetables and bread and pie, and it was just fine. Later I went into Mom and Dad’s bedroom to thank them, and I caught them eating a little turkey. I guess that wasn’t really the best Thanksgiving.”
Today I am grateful for: Having a back
Guess the Movie: “Don’t be so gloomy. After all it’s not that awful. Like the fella says, in Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love – they had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock.”
Slain Soldier’s Mother Plans to Resume Protest Near Bush Ranch
Cindy Sheehan expected in Crawford over Thanksgiving.
by Angela K. Brown (Rest of article here.)

TUESDAY POLITICS

Plan B

Well, I have to admit I haven’t been paying that much attention to birth control methods for about the last 15 years, but I do know that the climate around such notions hasn’t changed much – in fact, things are looking ReligiousRighter than ever. So I just happened to see a news item that the FDA’s rejection (hmmm what a surprise) in 2004 of the morning-after pill being made available without prescription is being looked into as politically motivated by congressional investigators. The FDA had found this pill (a higher dose of combined oral contraceptives) “safe and effective” in 1997. Reading up (see link on Plan B above), I found that this is not an abortion pill and will not work if you are already pregnant, so I’m guessing this is more about women’s rights or the notion that teenagers won’t be encouraged to have sex if they don’t have access to such resources. (As if they needed encouragement.) Not only did I not know that this medication was available by prescription for use in the first 72 hours, but it is suggested to have it on hand ahead of any such possible mistakes for this reason. Let’s say the condom breaks on a Friday late afternoon. Or that’s when the rape occurs. Or that’s when those darn teenagers just can’t restrain themselves a second longer. Or that Happy Hour started a wee bit too early with that easily available over-the-counter medication called alcohol. Stay tuned.

Deep Thought: “I wish I would have a real tragic love affair and get so bummed out that I’d just quit my job and become a bum for a few years, because I was thinking about doing that anyway.”
Today I am grateful for: The autonomic nervous system
Guess the Movie: “June twenty-ninth. I gotta get in shape. Too much sitting has ruined my body. Too much abuse has gone on for too long. From now on there will be 50 pushups each morning, 50 pullups. There will be no more pills, no more bad food, no more destroyers of my body. From now on will be total organization. Every muscle must be tight.” Answer: Taxi Driver, 1976. Winner: Eliminate_the_Impossible.
F.D.A.’s Rejection of Contraceptive Is Questioned
by Maria Newman
The Food and Drug Administration did not follow its usual procedures in rejecting an application for over-the-counter sales of the emergency contraceptive pill Plan B, the investigating arm of Congress found today. (Rest of article here.)

MONDAY READING

I’ve been watching a video about Joni Mitchell (Woman of Heart and Mind, 2003) this week because I always loved her music from day one. Still have my original tattered copy of Blue. She was born only four years after I was, further north in Canada, and took that same turn in the road in the ‘60’s, following the elusive light of the counterculture down all its thorny paths. Sadly, she says she made her last album in 2002 with Travelogue. Before she added music to her talents early on, she was already a poet and painter . The whole holy trinity – words, song, color. Obviously, she’s met and worked with countless wonderful musicians along the way. But always independent, willful, inventing new levels for herself. I’m too old myself now to fantasize about what it would be like to live someone else’s life, but I’m glad I was there on the fringes as she rode on by, singing. Here is one of those early songs for Monday’s reading.

BIG YELLOW TAXI (1970)

They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot
With a pink hotel, a boutique
And a swinging hot spot
Don’t it always seem to go
That you don’t know what you’ve got
Till it’s gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot

Late last night
I heard the screen door slam
And a big yellow taxi
Took away my old man
Don’t it always seem to go
That you don’t know what you’ve got
Till it’s gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot

Deep Thought: “Sometimes I think the world has gone completely mad. And then I think, “Aw, who cares?” And then I think, “Hey, what’s for supper?”
Today I am grateful for: Authors
Guess the Movie: “Welcome the rich man, he’s hard for you to miss. His butt keeps getting bigger, so there’s plenty there to kiss!” Answer: Spirited Away, 2001. Winner: collette_and_moi.
Edwards’ Remarks May Nudge Others
Potential Democratic candidates feel pressure from anti-war factions
by Tim Funk
Former Sen. John Edwards’ decision Sunday to so publicly repudiate his past vote authorizing the war in Iraq could help shape a Democratic race for president that’s just beginning. (Rest of article here).
End of Day: 8:24 pm
+ = Got some bank business done – first safety deposit box of life.
- = They give you two keys and you can’t make copies and if you lose them you pay big bucks.

SUNDAY GOOD NEWS

Yesterday I took my grandchildren (14 and 9) to the local IMAX to see Magnificent Desolation:  Walking on the Moon (Tom Hanks and other famous voices narrating).   When I sat in front of my own TV to watch the first landing and hear that famous quote about the “giant leap for mankind” their father was not yet two
years old.  If you’ve never been to an IMAX show, be warned it’s not for the claustophobic or those with fear of heights.  A veteran now, I still feel a little flutter of whether I’ll throw up, pass out, or start screaming when I’m finally seated and the credits start to roll.  Plus be warned not to take a child who may have to go to the bathroom once you’re inside because they lock the doors and you can’t get back in once you’ve exited.  You enter the theater through a hallway so dark you have to clutch the railing, turn a corner and confront stairs so steep it looks like it might require rappeling to get up to a seat near the back (which is the best place to be if you don’t want to break your neck looking up at the curved screen that’s like the inside of the top half of a broken eggshell).  Then you might want to sit near the end of the row if you have any anxiety at all because god forbid you would need to crawl over the folks in between with 0% aisle room.  I had to fake nonchalance yesterday when my g-kids chose to head for dead center.  If you’re cool with all the above though, hold on for a great ride.  And space is the perfect location for a visit by IMAX.  Most of us know Hanks is a NASA nut, so the story of the Apollo missions is lovingly told with tidbits of information you probably haven’t heard – like what some of the other quotes on landing were, history leading up to the space program, early spacesuit designs.  What really struck me is that after all these years only 12 humans have set foot on the moon and the last one was in 1972.   The whole Apollo program  was initiated when President Kennedy made his announcement at a special joint session of Congress on May 25, 1961:

“…I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth. No single space project in this period will be more impressive to mankind, or more important in the long-range exploration of space; and none will be so difficult or expensive to accomplish…”

Apparently, once that mission was accomplished attention turned elsewhere, but now it seems there is a push for another Moon Program starting no later than 2008 with a series of robotic missions to the Moon to prepare for and support future human exploration activities. A follow-on robotic lunar lander is also slated for 2009.  The White House space directive states that the first extended human expedition to the lunar surface could occur as early as 2015, but no later than the year 2020.  I don’t know if this is good news or bad news, but this morning as Paul McCartney’s rendition of Good Day Sunshine beamed 200 miles above Earth from his concert in Anaheim, California last night and woke the International Space Station, NASA astronaut Bill McArthur and Russian cosmonaut Valery Tokanev bobbed up and down to the music as they began their 44th day of a six-month mission. I’m bobbing up and down now myself as I imagine those cheery words and music in my mind and look out on a grey Portland, Oregon morning.

Deep Thought:  “They say the mountain holds many secrets, but the biggest is this: “I am a fake mountain.”
Today I am grateful for:  Anything astronomical, including astronauts
Guess the Movie:  “Macomb was a tired old town, even in 1932 when I first knew it. Somehow, it was hotter then. Men’s stiff collars wilted by nine in the morning; ladies bathed before noon, after their 3 o’clock naps, and by nightfall were like soft teacakes with frosting from sweating and sweet talcum. The day was twenty-four hours long, but it seemed longer. There was no hurry, for there was nowhere to go and nothing to buy… and no money to buy it with. Although Macomb County had recently been told that it had nothing to fear but fear itself… That summer, I was six years old.” Answer: To Kill a Mockingbird, 1962. Winner: Eliminate_the_Impossible.
Blair Faces New Inquiry into Iraq War Impeachment Campaigners Claim Former Ministers will Join 200 Supporters to Force Commons Probe
by James Cusick
MPs organising the campaign to impeach Tony Blair believe they have enough support to force a highly damaging Commons investigation into the Prime Minister’s pre-war conduct.   (Rest of article here.)
End of Day: 8:22 pm
+ = Nice quiet stress-free day.
- = Only walked 1.1 miles (by pedometer).

THURSDAY WHATEVER

Before any more time passes, I thought I
would respond to the first Internet Island assignment and just say that
I appreciate being asked to join such an interesting (so far) group of
xangans, judging from a little random sampling. So here goes:

1. I am a LISTENER.
It’s
not that I don’t have anything to say, it’s just that put me in a group
of two or more and I’m more than likely to assume you won’t be
interested in what I have to say. I can remember an exact time in
someone’s apartment years ago when I said to myself, you know what, the
way to make friends is to listen. It’s what people need most is to be
heard. Even after all these years and accumulated wisdom, I’m still an
introvert. I learned it’s okay to be a quiet person and that without us
the world would be out of balance – too noisy and too intense. I’ve
learned a lot by listening. I can hear your heart.
2. I am a READER and a WRITER.
The whole world is running
downhill, sliding off the plate because we are not
watching,–even when we do our sorry
hands insist on trembling
out of all proportion to the size of what is kept
from spilling.
Are there any readers of the poet’s words
of love
who are not also poets. What of those
who cannot spell the way it is to lie down with the
sky (where
sometimes, maybe only once, we
all, seduced and helpless, fall); and
what of those who hate too much to read what has
not been already
slashed to bits; and those
who carry stubborn graves around inside
their honest faces.
Do we write for them, for all
the others,
even for ourselves. I start
a journey.
(written by me at about age 21)
3. I admire art.
Art Rimbaud, Art Miller, King Art, Art Rubinstein, Art Rackham….oh, you mean THAT kind of art.
4. I believe in a spiritual essence.
It was my
great luck to spend my childhood wandering about on a 100-acre farm. It
was all there really – nature, music, love, death, courage, everything
you need to be convinced of a world of spirit. It’s been my observation
that everyone searches in their own way for how to connect with it when
they need and want to. Without it there would be no chance for peace.
5. I care deeply about the state of the world.
This
has to begin at the beginning, with caring about ourselves, treating
our lives as though they were precious, invaluable. From there it
spreads to those we love the most, and from them outward, ripple by
ripple. But it has to begin at the beginning.

Deep Thought: “If God dwells inside us, like some people say, I sure hope He likes enchiladas, because that’s what He’s getting!”
Today I am grateful for: *Asterisks
Guess the Movie:  “I apologize… for not being entirely honest with you. I apologize for
not revealing my true feelings. I apologize, sir, for not telling you
sooner that you’re a degenerate, sadistic old man. And you can go to
hell before I apologize to you now or ever again!”  Answer:  Paths of Glory, 1957.
Arctic Refuge, Coastal Drilling Stripped from House Budget Bill
Move Highlights Growing Controversy; Showdown Expected in Conference
(Rest of article here.)

WEDNESDAY MOVIE

A History of Violence

Gads, since I was getting the latest chapter of my life story posted, it’s been awhile since I reviewed a movie.  I’ve seen a bunch of interesting ones on DVD/video, including the first season of two great HBO series – Six Feet Under and The Wire.   But this is the last film I saw out at the cinema.   I didn’t really know much about the plot before I got there – just knew it got great ratings every time I saw it reviewed and it was a drama bordering on thriller (my favorite).  Plus, I’ve now seen Viggo Mortensen in a few different kinds of roles (the Lord of the Rings stuff, Hidalgo, and hey, all the way back to Witness in the ‘80’s – remember that?) and find him an interesting actor who seems to be improving with age.  So, to my surprise, I actually found myself a little underwhelmed with the movie once it was over.   First off, the cinematography had a kind of cheesy look to it, and I’m just a bit unforgiving about that factor when I pay the money.   And the predictable violence seemed just a tad too predictable.  But that said, I thought the premise was really a good one – how does the addition of violence to a peaceful family/community recipe trickle out to affect pretty much everyone it touches?  And how does someone who has spent their formative years learning to be violent as practically an art form up and make a decision to spend the rest of their lives being peaceful?  And once you’ve left the crumbs of violence behind you like Hansel and Gretel, can you really expect that the predators who feed on them won’t track you down?  The director, David Cronenberg, also made such films as:  “Spider” – about a mental patient; “Dead Ringers” – about Jekyll and Hyde twins; and 1983’s “Dead Zone” with Christopher Walken.  So you know the guy will have a different  twist on things.  So my minor kvetches aside, I thought it was worth the effort.  Good acting from all, good plot, good food for thought. Good to go.

Deep Thought:  “Consider the daffodil. And while you’re doing that, I’ll be over here, looking through your stuff.”
Today I am grateful for:  Aspiration
Guess the Movie:  “Listen, just listen. The watch we put under the flower pots and the money we stuff in the violin.” Answer: The Pianist, 2002. Winner: Eliminate_the_Impossible.
Californians Say No to Schwarzenegger
by Mark Martin, Carla Marinucci and Lynda Gledhill
California voters were rejecting Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s special election agenda Tuesday, handing the governor a humbling loss after he gambled on a high-stakes plan to reshape state government. (Rest of article here.)
End of Day: 8:36 pm
+ = Beautiful fall day.
- = More suicide bombing – different country.

(Photo is the Pribilof Army Band from the Bering Sea)
FRIDAY FIVE

Appetizer – What was the last game you purchased?
Hmm, I was just looking at games in the store today, thinking I already have so many why am I even thinking of buying another one. Just last weekend, I played Trivial Pursuits Junior with my grandkids (and daughter). OK, so do you know what panda bears have that real bears don’t?
Soup – Name something in which you don’t believe.
I don’t believe George and Laura B. are having a very fun time down there in Argentina.
Salad – If you could choose a television personality to be your boss, who would you pick?
Oh somebody funny and smart, like Jon Stewart, would be good. Even during the darkest times, you would find something to crack up about. And oh yes, there would always be those zen moments.
Main Course – What was a lesson you had to learn the hard way?
How to keep track of monthly bills. When I first got in Recovery years ago, I owed 6 collection agencies and the IRS. It took me 7 years to pay it all off. First thing I did to begin was buy a cork bulletin board and pinned every bill to it when it first came in. At least they weren’t under the couch or in the refrigerator or wherever any more.
Dessert – Describe your idea of the perfect relaxation room.
Warm, has a fireplace for winter and an overhead fan for summer, Persian rug, plants, one of those little fountain things, excellent sound system, comfortable furniture, soft lighting, bookshelves, lots of artwork, a table for sitting around with friends.

Deep Thought: “If you ever catch on fire, try to avoid seeing yourself in the mirror, because I bet that’s what really throws you into a panic.”
Today I am grateful for: Art
Guess the Movie: “ She’ll be talking to me about something. Suddenly the words fade into silence. A cloud comes into her eyes and they go blank. She’s somewhere else, away from me, someone I don’t know. I call her, she doesn’t even hear me. Then, with a long sigh, she’s back. Looks at me brightly, doesn’t even know she’s been away, can’t tell me where or when.” Answer: Vertigo, 1958. Winner: tearsign.
Bush Faces Showdown with Chavez ‘The Kid’
by Phil Davison
If President Bush thought a weekend beach break in Argentina would get him away from his Washington woes, he is about to be proved wrong. Tens of thousands of South Americans are descending on Mar del Plata to protest against the US President. (Rest of article here).

THURSDAY WHATEVER

Let’s see – what could the Bush administration do to boost its deteriorating image? Why, here’s an idea! Announce a $7.1 billion plan to prepare for the Avian Flu pandemic that appears to be looming in the near future as a world crisis. Right here on the West Coast, I’m getting kind of nervous actually, having just read a terrifying article in my favorite news rag, Vanity Fair, about how very possible the spread is and how it will travel straight here from Asia. So news of a Plan of any kind is good. On looking closer, I find out “the rest of the story.” So far the government is only authorizing giant pharmaceutical companies like Roche to have control over global supply of flu vaccine. This means the developing countries where the disease is most likely to spread first will have no chance to build up adequate supplies. And of course, another nailbiter is that until it can be tested on humans, we can’t really know if Tamiflu or anything else developed will really work. Last December, I heard the happy news that Michael Moore was going to take on the drug bullies with his next film with Miramax, entitled Sicko, due out in 2006. Haven’t heard a word since. Have you? It couldn’t come out at a more perfect time. So, I’ve had my flu shot for this winter’s local version (flu season has already begun in my town). The supply seems adequate in my neighborhood (including the spray kind) for all ages, though just this week I heard there was a slow-down. Keeping my ear to the ground for what the next developments are. Fingers crossed, like that will do any good.

Deep Thought: “Once I was passing a roadside fruit stand, and I stopped to ask for directions. There was an old grizzled farmer there, with a face that looked like he had seen many things in his life. I asked him which way to go. He paused for a moment, then took out a handkerchief and wiped his brow. I don’t know what he said, because I just peeled out. I don’t have time for guys to pull out handkerchiefs. “
Today I am grateful for: Arms – the kind you hug with
Guess the Movie: “Someday this war’s gonna end. That’d be just fine with the boys on the boat. They weren’t looking for anything more than a way home. Trouble is, I’d been back there, and I knew that it just didn’t exist anymore.” Answer: Apocalypse Now, 1979. Winner: tikhead.
Rumsfeld to Profit from Avian Flu Vaccine
By Nelson D. Schwartz
Fortune
Monday 31 October 2005
Defense Secretary, ex-chairman of flu treatment rights holder, sees portfolio value growing.
New York – The prospect of a bird flu outbreak may be panicking people around the globe, but it’s proving to be very good news for Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and other politically connected investors in Gilead Sciences, the California biotech company that owns the rights to Tamiflu, the influenza remedy that’s now the most-sought after drug in the world. (Rest of article here).
End of Day: 8:28 pm
+ = Finished up reporting to Animal Control and can now let the whole thing go.
- = Sopping wet outside.

Tub

I’m a cat person. Mainly because I work and cats do better with time alone during the day than dogs do. About 12 years ago, I became a homeowner for the first (and maybe only) time in my life in a quiet neighborhood with enough yard for pets to have room and be safe. Somehow over those years the space came to include five cats in all, and Tub was the last to arrive about three years ago. The first two were hand-me-downs from family members who couldn’t keep them, the last three were strays who majorly lucked out when they showed up in my yard. Tub was a honkin’ big guy that looked like he’d been eating well for years and was now in his mid-life. After him I drew the line. What could I have been thinking? I take these little creatures’ care seriously, and it gets pretty darn expensive some months if anything at all goes wrong. Tub, it turned out, had a medical condition that was going to require expensive medicine for the rest of his life and occasional trips to the vet to treat it. Nevertheless, he was a sweetheart. And yesterday, when I came home from work Tub was not first at the trough as usual. In fact, he was nowhere to be found. Never happened before. My neighbor called to see if I wanted to go for a walk and we set out to the east for a half hour walk, finally approaching my house from the west. Then I saw the large black object laying on the grass at the side of my neighbor’s house. (BTW, the photo is from happier summer days.) It was really hard to look closely enough to determine that it was indeed Tub. He had clearly met a violent death. His collar was gone. There was blood near his head and his other end. He was stiff as a board. He looked like he’d been whirled around somebody’s head and just tossed there. I couldn’t touch him. I went and got a wheelbarrow and a shovel and managed to lift him into it and wheel him back to my back yard. I dug a big hole in a spot where I knew the earth was soft enough and wrapped him in a beautiful blue towel and laid him in it and covered him up. I stuck one of those butterfly garden stake things in the ground to mark the spot and came indoors. I felt mad and sad and dark. I could tell there was absolutely no point trying to figure out what happened – dog, car, Halloween prank? When I went to bed, there was no bounding thud when Tub landed at the foot of the bed for the night and walked over to peer at me before settling down. I don’t know what happens to cats when they die, just like I don’t know about us. I do know it will be awhile before I forget what it felt like to lift him and scratch his head and look at his trusting face. Maybe forever. Thanks for listening. I had to tell somebody.

Deep Thought: “I think a good movie would be about a guy who’s a brain scientist, but he gets hit on the head and it damages the part of the brain that makes you want to study the brain.”
Today I am grateful for: Apple carts
Guess the Movie: “In the world I see – you are stalking elk through the damp canyon forests around the ruins of Rockefeller Center. You’ll wear leather clothes that will last you the rest of your life. You’ll climb the wrist-thick kudzu vines that wrap the Sears Tower. And when you look down, you’ll see tiny figures pounding corn, laying strips of venison on the empty car pool lane of some abandoned superhighway.” Answer: Fight Club, 1999
The True Cost of War
by Cindy Sheehan
This immoral invasion and occupation of Iraq has cost the world so much. George and his reckless war of choice have cost the American taxpayers billions of dollars that could be better spent at home. Judging from Katrina, Iraq has cost our country much of its security. It has cost the US any good standing we enjoyed in the world community. It cost America the post 9/11 good will from almost the entire world. We Americans are the laughing stock of the world community. Not only is our callous and careless leadership disdained, but we the people are scorned because we “re”-elected George for a 2nd term and not only that, we are allowing him to continue to mislead our country into ruin. (Rest of article here.)
End of Day: 8:07 pm
+ = I so much appreciate the sweet comments everyone left today.
- = A witness came to my door who said it was two dogs who got out of their yard two blocks away, but apparently it still cannot be proven that they actually killed Tub, though they were the ones who were tossing him around right before they were shooed away.